I don’t really feel that I gave this gig the amount of preemptory excitement that I should have done, given that it was sort of sandwiched between the Culture Club gig of a week and a half ago and the Electric Dreams festival that’s coming up this weekend, and also due to the fact that I’ve been ridiculously, ridiculously busy recently.
As such, I didn’t even realise who the support act was going to be (Midge Ure with his band Electronica!) until I happened to see it mentioned on Twitter the morning of the gig. That was the best kind of surprise, and I spent the rest of the day bouncing off the walls with excitement – apart from anything else, it’s a fairly major scalp for my Band Aid baby bucket list, given that it’s the guy who wrote the song!
Much to the crowd’s delight, Electronica played all the Ultravox and Midge Ure solo classics, along with a much-appreciated couple of songs written for other people! Geth and I were a bit surprised that the crowd were on their feet right from the off (Newcastle City Hall is a seated venue), but I could absolutely understand it, because it was such a danceable and entertaining set. Dude can still belt out Vienna like nobody’s business.
(Also, dude retweeted my excitable gibberish. Yes, he retweets all his mentions, but that was cool.)
Most days I’m always decrying the general awfulness of the 21st century, but getting retweeted by your favourite pop stars is awesome. I’ll give it that.
Midge Ure & Electronica setlist:
Yellow Pearl If I Was Love’s Great Adventure Death In The Afternoon Fade To Grey Reap The Wild Wind Vienna All Stood Still Hymn (The Power And The Glory) Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
There was a good long break in between Electronica and the Human League, meaning that Geth was able to go and get us another drink. Highly useful!
The Human League are one of those bands that I’ve loved forever, because they’ve just been part of the furniture of my life. I don’t remember where I was when I first heard songs like Don’t You Want Me or Love Action (I Believe In Love), because they’ve always just been there. It was so amazing to see and hear all those songs live – it’s really just the singers (Phil Oakey, Susan Sulley, and Joanne Catherall) who remain from the classic lineup, but frankly, that’s whom you’re there to see. I have to give a shout out to the stage decor as well – it was all made up of pretty neon boxes, and it looked incredible.
This was the unblurriest picture I could manage. I guess I just got lucky for Culture Club.
My highlight was, rather predictably, Don’t You Want Me – it’s not every day you get to see a UK Christmas number one (1981, in case you weren’t aware) performed live by the original artist (and throwing Midge Ure into the mix, that means I actually saw two artists in one show who had written Christmas number ones! How appropriately seasonal!). However, there was also an amazing moment when they finished the encore with Together In Electric Dreams, the classic hit that Phil Oakey did with Giorgio Moroder. It’s one of Geth’s favourite songs, and he never thought he’d get to see it live, so he’s now making noises about the show being a contender for gig of the year (and given how much he loved Peter Hook & The Light and Promenade Cinema at Infest, that’s saying something).
The Human League setlist:
The Sound Of The Crowd Mirror Man Heart Like A Wheel The Things That Dreams Are Made Of Night People Seconds The Lebanon One Man In My Heart Louise Human Open Your Heart Who Do You Love Love Action (I Believe In Love) All I Ever Wanted Tell Me When (Keep Feeling) Fascination Don’t You Want Me Being Boiled Together In Electric Dreams
Day 32, and Now! #32, which was released on 13th November 1995.
This is how the world looked in November 1995 (actually October, yadda yadda), or at least the small bit of the world that was me looking sulky next to a piano. I made those earrings myself out of a kit, and only got round to chucking them out a couple of months ago.
Let’s listen to some songs by people who probably didn’t have to make their own earrings.
Track 1: Queen – Heaven For Everyone
Lovely track, gorgeous tune.
Track 2: Meat Loaf – I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth)
Another great rock ballad from Meat Loaf. Really like this one! I remember him promoting it on Blue Peter.
Track 3: Simply Red – Fairground
Didn’t like this one at the time, but I do now. Great tune.
Track 4: U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Really like this offering from the Batman Forever soundtrack – it’s got a great atmosphere.
Track 5: Tina Turner – Goldeneye
I do love a James Bond theme song, and this one is really solid. Awesome tune.
Track 6: Cher – Walking In Memphis
I mentioned in my review of the Marc Cohn original on Now! #20 that the Cher version was entirely pointless (unless you think the sole change of having vocals by Cher makes it worthwhile), and I stand by that, but it’s still a great track.
Track 7: The Beautiful South – Pretenders To The Throne
Lovely tune, like the piano.
Track 8: Louise – Light Of My Life
Louise Redknapp (or Nurding, as she was then) starting her post-Eternal solo career. Unfortunately this is a super dull ballad, although the tune on the chorus is alright.
Track 9: Jimmy Nail – Big River
Found it boring at the time, find it boring now.
Track 10: Sacred Spirit – Yeha-Noha (Wishes Of Happiness And Prosperity)
I’m not a huge chillout fan, but this one is quite nice.
Track 11: Radiohead – Lucky
Loathed it at the time, mixed on it now. Pretty, melancholy tune on the verses, but the chorus ruins it a bit.
Track 12: Pulp – Sorted For Es And Wizz
Love this one! Great tune, great lyrics. This was a favourite among friends when we lived in Southampton, due to the ‘in a field in Hampshire’ bit.
Track 13: Blur – Country House
Loved it at the time, love it now. Absolute classic, great singalong track.
Track 14: Cast – Alright
Found the tune annoying at the time, kind of so-so about it now. It’s just sort of…okay.
Track 15: Oasis – Roll With It
I can’t actually remember whether I wanted this one or Blur’s Country House to be number one during that particular chart battle, ’cause I liked them both. With hindsight, though, the best song definitely won – this offering from Oasis is a bit uninspired.
Track 16: McAlmont & Butler – Yes
I’ve always adored this one – we had it on a Top Gear compilation. Beautiful tune.
Track 17: Paul Weller – Broken Stones
Mum and Dad had the Stanley Road album, so this was a regular feature of car journeys, and I absolutely loathed it at the time – it was far too serious and boring. I’m still not a huge fan, but I can appreciate the tune a bit more nowadays.
Track 18: Suggs – I’m Only Sleeping
I always liked this cover of the Beatles song – lovely tune, great atmosphere.
Speaking of Beatles covers…
Track 19: The Smokin’ Mojo Filters – Come Together
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
This one’s actually a semi-cover, ’cause Paul McCartney was involved in this supergroup. Fairly uninspired cover, turning the song into dull ’90s soft rock.
Track 20: Coolio and LV – Gangsta’s Paradise
Loved it then, love it now! Absolutely brilliant atmosphere, great tune.
Track 21: Shaggy – Boombastic
Annoying chorus alert! Never been that keen on this one.
Track 22: N-Trance and Ricardo Da Force – Stayin’ Alive
‘Cover’ of the Bee Gees classic that basically takes the original backing track and adds rapping over the top. I shouldn’t like it, but I do.
Track 23: Donna Summer – I Feel Love [Rollo and Sister Bliss Monster Mix]
Remix of the classic 1978 hit, turning it into a ’90s-standard dance track. It’s a bit messy, and I’m not hugely keen, especially since I like the original so much.
Track 24: Berri – Sunshine After The Rain
Really liked this one at the time, but I find it pretty irritating now.
Track 25: Corona – Try Me Out
I’d forgotten about this one. Super irritating chorus!
Track 26: The Original – I Luv U Baby
Oh, it’s this one! Really quite like this tune.
Track 27: Everything But The Girl – Missing
I’ve never been keen on this one – there’s something nauseatingly depressing about it.
Track 28: Eternal – Power Of A Woman
The vocals on the chorus give me a headache, and the tune is super generic. Not a fan at all.
Track 29: Soul II Soul – I Care
Most of the tune is quite dull, but the chorus is nice.
Track 30: Outhere Brothers – La La La Hey Hey
Dull, forgettable, unmelodic track – nothing good here at all.
Track 31: Whigfield – Big Time
Daft yodeling hook throughout, but at least this one is interesting.
Track 32: Alex Party – Wrap Me Up
Dull, repetitive dance track, not keen. I think 1995 is probably around the point at which I should leave the imaginary ’90s nightclub.
Track 33: Josh Wink – Higher State Of Consciousness
Messy track, not enough melody. Getting my coat, going home for an early night.
Track 34: Wildchild – Renegade Master
Oh, wait, I’ll hang about for one more! I really like this one – classic track. A few years ago, Geth had a student who wrote a hilariously bad essay with an intro about a ‘renegade cyclist’, so ever since then I’ve switched the lyrics in my head, which makes it even better.
Track 35: Goldie – Inner City Life
And we’re back to dull chillout dance. Not keen at all.
Track 36: The Human League – Don’t You Want Me [Red Jerry 7 Inch Remix]
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Remix of the classic 1981 song. I love the original and this is really taking a sledgehammer to everything that’s good about it. Just awful.
Track 37: Candy Girls – Fee Fi Fo Fum
This starts off as an okay dance track, but the vocals are terrible.
Track 38: Happy Clappers – I Believe
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Super annoying vocal ticks at the start. I’ve downed my pint of Strongbow and am definitely leaving the club this time.
Track 39: Wild Colour – Dreams
Interesting clangy bit and a good electro line, but jarred together the track just becomes a mess. I’m doing up the buttons on my vintage ’80s trenchcoat.
Track 40: E’Voke – Runaway
The irritating vocals start up on this track just as I sweep through the door of the imaginary ’90s nightclub. I’m in the taxi. I’m done.
Day 31 takes us to 31st July 1995 with the Now! compilations.
This is how the world looked in July 1995. It was a long hot summer in France for us that year, and so the world looked like a pretty Breton holiday home, and we looked like mid-’90s holidaymakers, surprisingly enough. Check out the plastic dummy around my neck – this was the ultimate accessory in 1995. You wore it to class and annoyed the teachers by sucking it all through the lesson. And yes, I still have it.
Let’s have a listen to the summer hits of that year.
Track 1: Wet Wet Wet – Don’t Want To Forgive Me Now
Quite like this tune, until it gets to the annoying chorus.
Track 2: Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
Loved it at the time, love it now. Absolutely classic track with a great atmosphere.
Track 3: Pulp – Common People
The other kids in my primary school class considered this to be ‘my’ song ’cause I was always singing along to it. Great tune, brilliant lyrics, still love it after all these years.
Track 4: Supergrass – Alright
I’ve always found this one pretty annoying – annoying tune, annoying lyrics, annoying theme, annoying video. Not a fan.
Track 5: Shaggy – In The Summertime
Reggae-tinged cover of the Mungo Jerry classic with Shaggy rapping over the top. It’s an interesting cover, and I quite like it.
Track 6: Ini Kamoze – Here Comes The Hotstepper
Oh, it’s this one! Bit of a sample mishmash, but it’s a classic track – happily nodding along here.
Track 7: Dana Dawson – 3 Is Family
Fairly generic pop track – nothing special here.
Track 8: Jam & Spoon and Plavka – Right In The Night (Fall In Love With Music)
Fantastic Russian-tinged atmospheric dance track. Really like this one.
Track 9: East 17 – Hold My Body Tight
Irritating chorus – wasn’t keen then, not keen now. I remember I had a tween girl magazine at the time that showed you how to play this on recorder, which must have been wonderful for parents everywhere.
Track 10: Boyzone – Key To My Life
Loved it then, find it nauseatingly saccharine now. Strange how that happens!
Track 11: Seal – Kiss From A Rose
This one, on the other hand, I’ve not lost any love for – it’s an absolutely beautiful track. Gorgeous tune, lovely vocals, just stunning.
Track 12: Kirsty MacColl – Days
We’ve had this already, on Now! 15! I’m still irritated about this kind of track repetition.
See the link for my review.
Track 13: The Human League – One Man In My Heart
The synth is nice, but the vocals are a little irritating (I’ve never found Susan Sulley and Joanne Catherall to be particularly great singers, and so this female-vocal-led track is a little weak because of it).
Track 14: Portishead – Sour Times
Great atmosphere on this track – really like this one.
Track 15: Oasis – Some Might Say
Great lyrics, though I don’t love the tune as much as I did at the time.
Track 16: Weezer – Buddy Holly
Great track! This was a favourite in rock clubs a few years later in the early ’00s.
Track 17: Del Amitri – Roll To Me
I find the vocals a bit irritating and cheesy – not a fan of this one.
Track 18: EMF and Reeves & Mortimer – I’m A Believer
Fun, raucous cover of the Monkees song. Great track.
Track 19: Duran Duran, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five – White Lines (Don’t Do It)
Semi-cover of the ’80s original (see Now! #3 post for review of original), featuring the original artists. Slightly sacreligiously, I prefer it to the original, but then I do love Duran Duran. Great tune.
Track 20: Jimmy Somerville – Hurt So Good
Reggae-tinged cover of the ’70s song. Nice feelgood track, quite like this one.
Track 21: Outhere Brothers – Boom Boom Boom
Classic song, great danceable track. Good stuff.
Track 22: MN8 – I’ve Got A Little Something For You
Oh, it’s this one! I’ve not heard or thought about this track in a long time. I do like that vocal hook.
Track 23: Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
I’m getting a bit of déja vu here, ’cause the ‘this is how we do it‘ vocal hook is actually really similar to the ‘I’ve got a little something for you‘ hook from the previous song. I never noticed that at the time, but maybe I would have done if I’d owned Now! #31.
Track 24: D:Ream – Shoot Me With Your Love
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
This one’s a bit too repetitive for me.
Track 25: Baby D – (Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime) I Need Your Loving
Chillout dance cover of the Korgis classic. I’m not hugely keen on this.
Track 26: Jinny – Keep Warm
Generic dance track – nothing exciting about this one.
Track 27: Livin’ Joy – Dreamer
Another one I’ve not thought about in a long time. Good tune.
Track 28: Whigfield – Think Of You
The tune is a bit repetitive, but it’s got a good beat.
Track 29: Clock – Whoomph! (There It Is)
Liked it at the time, find the vocals pretty irritating now, though that synth line is great.
Track 30: Bobby Brown – Humpin’ Around
Nice intro, but the rest of the track is pretty generic.
Track 31: PJ & Duncan – Stuck On U
Around this time I had a mate who was utterly obsessed with PJ & Duncan (or Ant & Dec, as they became when the Byker Grove producers threatened to sue or whatever it was), so we constantly ended up watching their afternoon TV show (imaginatively titled The Ant & Dec Show) and listening to their album. Amazingly, I’ve still got a soft spot for their daft songs. This one actually has quite a good atmosphere.
Track 32: Love City Groove – Love City Groove
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
It always annoyed me at the time that the artist title was the same as the song. I mean, that’s just asking to end up as a one-hit wonder.
Appropriately for today, this was the UK’s Eurovision entry for 1995. The track itself is not my thing at all – the rap verses are super irritating, and the chorus annoys me just as much as it did at the time.
Track 33: Ladysmith Black Mambazo and China Black – Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Irritatingly, there is what sounds like a sports stadium crowd in the background throughout the track, so I’m guessing this was recorded as the England rugby team song for the Rugby World Cup ’95. Not keen at all.
Track 34: Soul II Soul – Love Enuff
Pleasant tune, but it’s a bit dull.
Track 35: Junior Vasquez – Get Your Hands Off My Man
Not enough melody for me, but it’s got a good beat.
Track 36: Shiva – Freedom
Overblown vocals, boring tune. Not keen.
Track 37: Billie Ray Martin – Your Loving Arms
Great electro instrumentals, annoying vocals. Might try and track down an instrumental version.
Track 38: Deuce – I Need You
Great dance beat, but the tune is a bit dull.
Track 39: JX – Son Of A Gun
Oh, it’s this one! I like the vocal hook, but it’s a bit repetitive.
Track 40: Hyperlogic – Only Me
That sample of U2’s New Year’s Day is great, and as a dance tune it’s fab, but I could do without those vocals, and the track does get a bit messy in the middle.
Day 30 takes us to Now! #30, which was released on 10th April 1995.
This is how the world looked in April 1995. There seems to be a bit of a theme of photos from halfway up hills and in woods and on beaches lately. Those things have obviously not changed in appearance, but my T-shirt collection has – not sure I could pull off bright yellow these days.
On with the tunes!
Track 1: Freak Power – Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out
It’s starting to get to the point with some of these where I’m a bit like ‘oh! I haven’t even thought about this song for more than twenty years’, and all these incredibly vague memories sort of flash through my mind for a second. This must be what getting old feels like.
The track is still great – love that tune on the chorus.
Track 2: Janet Jackson – Whoops Now
Slightly ’60s-tinged, jaunty track – another one I haven’t thought about for a long time. The chorus is a little repetitive, but it’s a nice tune.
Track 3: Boyzone – Love Me For A Reason
Yup, I had this album. Boyzone showed up just at the right point when Take That were coming to the end of their original run, giving tween girls everywhere a new favourite band. Pretty much every girl in my primary school class loved this song.
To adult ears, it’s kind of cheesy, and while I’ve never heard the original ’70s version, I’m guessing the cover probably doesn’t add much.
Track 4: Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton – Love Can Build A Bridge
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Absolutely loved this one at the time, still like it now. It was the Comic Relief song for 1995, back when Comic Relief songs were still good. Love the tune, really like the way the vocals are shared throughout the song.
Track 5: East 17 – Stay Another Day
This track’s status as the Christmas number one for 1994, its festive bells toward the end, its snowy video and its ubiquity on the music channels during December all mean that this is very firmly considered a Christmas song nowadays, so it feels highly out of place in May. I’ve always loved it, though, and remember being wowed by it when I first saw it performed on Top of the Pops in late 1994.
Track 6: Mike & The Mechanics – Over My Shoulder
This one was the ‘played all the time on the ferry’ track of summer 1995, so it just takes me straight back to being on a cross-channel voyage. Great song, love the tune.
Track 7: Jimmy Nail – Crocodile Shoes
Super annoying chorus – never been keen on this one.
Track 8: Scarlet – Independent Love Song
Nice tune, nice atmosphere, but a bit slow, and the chorus is kind of overblown.
Track 9: Simple Minds – She’s A River
Great, epic-sounding rock song. Really like this one.
Track 10: The Boo Radleys – Wake Up Boo!
I think the tune and theme to this one are pretty annoying, but I still find myself nodding along to it.
Track 11: The Human League – Tell Me When
Good to see the Human League back in the charts, with a great bit of synthpop. Lovely tune.
Track 12: M People – Sight For Sore Eyes
Great danceable track – really like this tune.
Track 13: Sting – This Cowboy Song
The instrumentals are nice, but there’s nothing special about the song.
Track 14: Shut Up And Dance – Save It Till The Mourning After
‘Sampling’ of Duran Duran’s Save A Prayer where they’ve just taken the backing track and chorus and added a horrible misplaced rap over the top. I’m also not sure why, in the title, they’ve changed ‘morning’ to ‘mourning’.
However, no matter how messy the sampling, I love Duran Duran, and Save A Prayer is one of my favourites, so I’m just going to enjoy the sample and ignore everything else.
Track 15: R Kelly – Bump ‘N’ Grind
The vocal gymnastics at the start are pretty anthemic, but once the track gets going it’s messy, dull and irritating, not my cup of tea at all.
Track 16: Eternal – Oh Baby I…
Fairly generic-sounding ballad. Not keen.
Track 17: Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn – Protection
Too slow for me, and I find the tune pretty dull.
Track 18: Portishead – Glory Box
Great hook, great tune, classic track.
Track 19: Oasis – Whatever
Nice violin instrumentals, awesome tune. It’s another one I hadn’t thought about for a while.
This was everywhere in 1995. It’s actually a really annoying song, but it certainly has a lot of memories attached to it.
Track 21: Alex Party – Don’t Give Me Your Life
Oh, it’s this one! Another one I’d forgotten about. Loved it at the time, find that chorus a little annoying nowadays.
Track 22: Strike – U Sure Do
And…oh, it’s this one! I’ve got a feeling this is going to start happening a lot. Found the tune annoying at the time, find it quite nice and nostalgic now.
Track 23: Kenny Dope and The Bucketheads – The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)
Absolute classic – great party tune with an awesome singalong chorus.
Track 24: Nightcrawlers – Push The Feeling On
I find this one pretty repetitive, but I do like the instrumental hooks.
Track 25: Tin Tin Out – Always (Something There To Remind Me)
Electro dance cover of the ’60s classic. The instrumentals are too messy for my liking, unfortunately.
Track 26: Corona – Baby Baby
Great dance track, great atmosphere – really like this one.
Absolutely classic dance track – that chorus is epic.
Track 29: JX – You Belong To Me
Ten dance tracks in a row, and we’re most definitely back in the imaginary ’90s nightclub. This one’s got a nice atmosphere around the vocals, but it’s a bit generic otherwise.
Track 30: Perfecto Allstars – Reach Up (Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag)
Cover/sampling/remix (the line is becoming a bit blurred with these dance producers) of the Pigbag song with some messy drums over the top at the start and some irritating dance vocals cutting in thereafter. Really not keen on all the messing with classic tracks that started happening during this period.
Track 31: Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe
Daft novelty country/linedance/electro dance track. I loved it at the time, but it’s become super overplayed in the intervening years.
Track 32: Deuce – Call It Love
Great piano intro, great atmosphere. Really like this one.
Track 33: 2 Unlimited – Here I Go
The tune to the vocals is nice, but it’s pretty generic otherwise.
Track 34: MC Sar & The Real McCoy – Run Away
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Great bassline, great atmosphere. Good stuff.
Track 35: Nicki French – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Dance cover of the Bonnie Tyler classic. The vocals are very far from the original standard, and the dance beat is a bit wishy-washy. It’s different enough not to be pointless, but it’s pretty poor.
Track 36: Sean Maguire – Suddenly
Irritating tune, irritating vocals. I remember Smash Hits being obsessed with this guy, but his stuff’s hugely forgettable.
Track 37: Bobby Brown – Two Can Play That Game
I really liked this one at the time, and I still quite like it now – great tune. Shame it’s by Bobby Brown.
Track 38: Ultimate Kaos – Hoochie Booty
More creepy kiddie vocals about sex from Ultimate Kaos. Please go away.
Track 39: Pato Banton and Ranking Roger – Bubbling Hot
Like that saxophone in the background, as well as the reggae instrumentals. Nice jaunty song.
Track 40: Mica Paris – One
Slow, soulful cover of the U2 song. The vocals are a bit overblown, but I quite like it.
Day 13’s Now! compilation came out on 21st November 1988.
This is the way the world looked in November 1988. I wasn’t actually put in a cage that often. If I had kids they’d be in a cage – uh, sorry, ‘playpen’ – 24 hours a day. This is one of the many reasons I know I’m not meant to be a parent.
Let’s see what pop hits the Now! compilers have for me today.
Track 1: Yazz & The Plastic Population – The Only Way Is Up
Classic party track, and that blaring horn at the start is great, but I find the tune to the vocal a bit annoying.
Track 2: Womack & Womack – Teardrops
Nice tune, though it’s a bit repetitive for me.
Track 3: Erasure – A Little Respect
I adore this one! Brilliant singalong party track. Also, I can’t not post that excellent Tube singalong video.
Track 4: The Christians – Harvest For The World
A little ashamed to say that I’m not familiar enough with the Isley Brothers original to be able to say whether this cover is pointless or not. There’s lots of very ’80s twiddly instrumentals, but the vocal is a bit mid-century throwback, so it’s hard to guess.
Track 5: Hue & Cry – Ordinary Angel
Interesting instrumentals at the start, a bit Eastern-tinged. Nice tune, though it’s a bit slow for me.
Track 6: UB40 and Chrissie Hynde – Breakfast In Bed
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Fairly standard UB40 slow reggae – great vocals from both singers. I actually like this even more than their cover of I Got You Babe.
Track 7: Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day
Really nice tune from Robert Palmer – interesting instrumental lines and great vocals.
Track 8: Breathe – Hands To Heaven
Nice instrumentals, but far too slow and saccharine for me. Apart from the sax solo. You can’t go wrong with a sax solo.
Track 9: Phil Collins – A Groovy Kind Of Love
Not a pointless cover as it’s very different from the Mindbenders original. It’s much slower and a lot more boring. Not a fan.
Track 10: Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry, Be Happy
I’ve always quite liked this jaunty tune. Didn’t they use to sell singing novelty fish that sang this song, or am I imagining that?
Track 11: The Art Of Noise and Tom Jones – Kiss
Nothing can beat the original Prince version, but this cover is not bad at all. It’s very different to the original, and I’m a big fan of Tom Jones and his distinctive voice. That guitar solo is great too.
Track 12: Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together
Nice upbeat track, originally released a decade earlier, so the stylings are obviously very ’70s. Love the instrumentals though, and though it’s a late ’70s song, there’s something quite glam rock about it – Ferry still channelling his earlier Roxy Music days.
Track 13: Kim Wilde – You Came
At the Kim Wilde gig last week (sorry, not going to shut up about that just yet!), Kim dedicated this one to the audience. Great solid pop track with an awesome epic singalong chorus.
Track 14: Bomb The Bass – Don’t Make Me Wait
Bit of an irritating intro, but the track is good once you get past that – great synth line, great vocals, great tune.
Track 15: Brother Beyond – The Harder I Try
This one’s a bit cheesy for me, but the tune’s quite nice and it’s a good head-nodder.
Track 16: The Hollies – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
Not sure why this one was back in the charts, but it’s a classic for a reason. Great track.
Track 17: Fat Boys and Chubby Checker – The Twist (Yo, Twist!)
It’s that Fat Boys cackle at the start again, but this retro-tinged rap track would not have been at all scary to my toddler self. Definitely a party song.
Track 18: Wee Papa Girl Rappers – Wee Rule
Quite an interesting song – I like the tune on the chorus, and it’s nice to hear female-fronted rap in the ’80s style.
Track 19: Salt-N-Pepa – Twist And Shout
Speaking of which… Was it a thing in 1988 to fuse rap with retro rock ‘n’ roll stylings? I wouldn’t have expected to like that, but I do. This one’s great, with rap verses straddling the classic chorus. The opposite of a pointless cover.
Track 20: Yello – The Race
Ohhhh…it’s this one! Classic party tune, but I didn’t know what it was called or who it was by. Every day’s a learning experience.
Track 21: Inner City and Kevin Saunderson – Big Fun
Fairly standard for Inner City – nodding my head, but the tune’s not super exciting.
Track 22: D-Mob and Gary Haisman – We Call It Acieed
Infamous vocal, classic dance track. Bit repetitive for me, but it’s a good party song.
Track 23: Beatmasters and PP Arnold – Burn It Up
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
I find this one a bit dull, nothing out of the ordinary, though I quite like that trumpet hook.
Track 24: Milli Vanilli – Girl You Know It’s True
By the time I started reading Smash Hits in the early ’90s, Milli Vanilli were a bit of a joke in the pop magazines as it was widely believed that they didn’t actually provide the vocals on their records. I’m not sure if this was true, but it was the kind of thing that was a symptom of the irritating move towards manufactured pop groups.
As for the song itself, the possibly-fake vocals are a bit cheesy, but the instrumentals are great.
Track 25: Level 42 – Heaven In My Hands
I have the Sage Gateshead tab open ready on my browser to order those tickets! I’ve just…not done it yet. I will soon.
More fab instrumentals, great upbeat guitar, interesting track. Like this one.
Track 26: Jane Wiedlin – Rush Hour
Chair-dancing here from the start – great singalong chorus, great tune.
Track 27: The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
The unofficial Scottish national anthem, played whenever we score points at the rugby. Get several hundred Scots in a room, play this song, and watch the chaos ensue. The ultimate in singalong classics.
Track 28: T’Pau – Secret Garden
The chorus annoys me, but otherwise it’s quite a good tune.
Track 29: Transvision Vamp – I Want Your Love
Really interesting song with great vocals. Big fan of this one…
Track 30: Duran Duran – I Don’t Want Your Love
…and the title juxtaposition here is hilariously schizophrenic. I hope that was deliberate, Now! compilers!
Duran Duran may not want our love…but I think you know what I’m about to say. I love Duran Duran, and this song is another cracker. Lovely vocal harmonies on the verses, nice epic atmosphere, brilliant singalong chorus, great lyrics.
Track 31: The Human League – Love Is All That Matters
Interesting to hear the Human League’s later ’80s stuff here. The synth isn’t nearly so prominent, and it’s a bit smoother and more polished-sounding than their earlier stuff, especially the backing vocals. Nice tune, too, and that outro is beautiful.
Track 32: All About Eve – Martha’s Harbour
Classic goth ballad. I’ve always liked this one, so I’ll forgive the Now! compilers for ending yet another compilation with a ballad.
Day 8’s Now! compilation was released on 24th November 1986.
Um, I’m not sure I can really say that this is what the world looked like in November 1986, given that my face pretty much takes up this whole photo. It’s what I looked like in November 1986, though, and I bet you can’t get dungarees that cute nowadays.
Let’s move onto the music.
Track 1: Duran Duran – Notorious
Yup, I still love Duran Duran. I also wish the Now! compilers would start putting their tracks later in the mix. I appreciate the need to start with a great tune, but sometimes it’s nice to save the best for last!
The song is one of my favourites (and not just for that Sparkle Motion bit in Donnie Darko that everyone always brings up). I love the ‘no-no-notorious’ hook, the way the verses build, the funk guitar – great track.
Track 2: Pet Shop Boys – Suburbia
Another great track from Pet Shop Boys – absolutely beautiful chorus and synth line.
Track 3: Aerosmith and Run DMC – Walk This Way
Bit overplayed these days, but still a classic, although I have to say I prefer the original version that Aerosmith did themselves.
Track 4: The Communards and Sarah Jane Morris – Don’t Leave Me This Way
A childhood favourite and one of the first pop songs I learnt to sing along to! I guess when you’re a toddler it’s easier to hit those high notes.
I discovered while Richard Coles was competing on Strictly last year that he’s responsible for the longest piano solo of the ’80s, which occurs in the middle of this song. Plus points!
Track 5: Swing Out Sister – Breakout
Nice and upbeat, but there’s something about the vocal that annoys me.
Track 6: Steve Winwood – Higher Love
Charming song, always liked this one. Great instrumentals, and I love that singalong chorus.
Track 7: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – (Forever) Live And Die
A bit slower than usual for OMD, but still a lovely tune.
Track 8: Genesis – In Too Deep
Nice epic instrumentals building throughout the song – really like this one.
Track 9: Cameo – Word Up
Another classic. There have been a lot of pointless ’90s, ’00s and ’10s covers in an attempt to replicate the greatness of this song, but nothing has come close to the original.
Track 10: Grace Jones – I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You)
I do like Grace Jones, and I really like the atmosphere of this track, especially during the verses.
Track 11: Mel & Kim – Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)
I’ve got a huge soft spot for Mel & Kim, and I really like this one, even though every time it pops up on Vintage TV Geth complains that they never show Respectable, which he apparently remembers as being a much bigger hit.
Track 12: Jermaine Stewart – We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off
I love this one! I never actually heard it until 2011, when it re-entered the charts after being featured in a Dairy Milk TV advert. Great pop track.
Track 13: Jaki Graham – Step Right Up
Probably the best out of the Jaki Graham tracks that the Now! compilers have chosen recently. Nice upbeat track with a catchy chorus.
Track 14: Janet Jackson – What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Quite a fun tune, but the lyrics annoy me.
Track 15: The Human League – Human
I really like this lovely, introspective track – a bit of a departure from the Human League’s earlier stuff, but really nice.
Track 16: Boris Gardiner – I Want To Wake Up With You
Bit cheesy for my liking, though I like the reggae beat.
Track 17: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush – Don’t Give Up
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Lovely duet, lovely tune. Really like this one.
Track 18: The Housemartins – Think For A Minute
I don’t think the Housemartins did a bad tune, and this is gorgeous as usual.
Track 19: Madness – (Waiting For) The Ghost Train
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Madness turn their hand to ‘spooky’. Another one for the Hallowe’en playlist!
Track 20: Status Quo – In The Army Now
I really like the atmosphere of this one, and I’m not the biggest Status Quo fan. Great track.
Track 21: Huey Lewis & The News – Stuck With You
A bit daft and cheesy, but it’s a nice head-nodder.
Track 22: Big Country – One Great Thing
This is a better Big Country track than has been included on Now! compilations so far. Nice chant-along chorus.
Track 23: Billy Bragg – Greetings To The New Brunette
I like Billy Bragg’s stuff, though I wouldn’t necessarily add it to a typical ’80s party playlist. It’s more for post-party listening circa 4am. This one’s got a nice tune and awesome lyrics.
Track 24: Cutting Crew – (I Just) Died In Your Arms
A favourite from back during my first flush of ’80s nostalgia in the early ’00s – I played it over and over. I was lucky enough to see Cutting Crew play back in November, and the crowd naturally went absolutely nuts for this one. I think that was the point that Geth and I decided we were no longer going to be stuck in the upper gallery at the Sage, where the party is decidedly not happening. Apart from anything else, you can’t take drinks into the upper levels! This decision turned out to be a good one on Monday night, when we went to the Kim Wilde gig and enjoyed a much more high-energy atmosphere down on the floor.
Speaking of Kim Wilde…
Track 25: Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hangin’ On
Is it another excuse to post the slightly blurry video I took of Kim Wilde performing this song on Monday night? I think it is!
I like most stuff that Kim Wilde has done, but this is my absolute favourite track of hers. Stunning cover of the ’60s classic that brings it storming into 1986 – amazing epic atmosphere.
Track 26: It Bites – Calling All The Heroes
Good pop track, though the messed up beat at the start annoys me a bit. Great singalong chorus.
Track 27: Doctor & The Medics and Roy Wood – Waterloo
Utterly daft cover. Sadly, I’m going to have to class it as a ‘pointless ’80s cover’, as it’s just not different enough from the Abba version.
Track 28: Debbie Harry – French Kissin’ In The USA
Okay song, but this has never come close to her Blondie classics for me.
Track 29: Robert Palmer – I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On
I really like Robert Palmer’s stuff, and this one is great – awesome instrumentals throughout.
Incidentally, it’s interesting in today’s climate to hear a song of this theme from a male singer.
Track 30: Paul Hardcastle – The Wizard
More interesting sampling from Paul Hardcastle. Some great bits of tune on this track.
Track 31: Gwen Guthrie – (They Long To Be) Close To You
Nice gentle cover of the Carpenters track. Not at all a pointless cover – it’s very different.
Track 32: Nick Berry – Every Loser Wins
Really dislike this one, sorry. Cheesy ballad that I believe was released as an Eastenders tie-in. Not a fan.
You might be aware that the Now! That’s What I Call Music compilation album series will be releasing its 100th edition on 20th July this year. I’ve got a huge soft spot for the series, largely because my parents bought the vinyl release of Now! That’s What I Call Music #10 in 1987 and it basically shaped my music taste, but also because it was such a big thing when I was growing up in the ’90s – at school and at parties, someone always had a Now! album kicking about. I’m surprised in some ways that the series is still going strong in the age of streaming, but it is, which is nice and nostalgic for me.
To celebrate the upcoming 100th edition, I’m going to review every single Now! compilation – one per day between today and 20th July – starting, obviously, with #1, which came out on 28th November 1983.
(When I say ‘review’, I of course mean ‘burble about anything that comes to mind about these particular tracks’. Just clarifying that in case you thought this was going to be in any way musically technical!)
Let’s get started, shall we?
Track 1: Phil Collins – You Can’t Hurry Love
’80s-era solo Phil Collins, especially poppy, bouncy nonsense like this, is very much what I consider a ‘guilty pleasure’. A few ciders and I will always be up dancing to this one at weddings.
Track 2: Duran Duran – Is There Something I Should Know?
I love Duran Duran, and this one’s a cracker, especially the constant backing vocals. The lyrics are great too:
And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door Don’t say you’re easy on me, you’re about as easy as a nuclear war
People just don’t write songs like this nowadays (waves stick in air).
Track 3: UB40 – Red Red Wine
Another ‘I’d dance to this one at a wedding’ track. There may be a theme emerging. Cheesy, but in a pleasant, head-nodding way.
Track 4: Limahl – Only For Love
I wasn’t familiar with this one, which is unusual for me with ’80s pop songs. I do like the epic nature of the bridge, and the song gets better as it goes on, but I probably wouldn’t add it to my Spotify playlist.
Track 5: Heaven 17 – Temptation
A favourite! I defy anyone not to chant along with the ‘temp-tation‘ bits. Incidentally, if you ask Geth to DJ your wedding, you’ll inevitably hear this one.
Track 6: KC & The Sunshine Band – Give It Up
Bit cheesy even for me, this one, but I do like the instrumental bits.
Track 7: Malcolm McLaren – Double Dutch
Another one I didn’t know. I’m not keen on the sampling mishmash at the start, but I quite like the idea of an ode to skipping ropes. It’s the kind of whimsy that’s mostly missing from music today.
Track 8: Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart
One for singing along to at the top of your voice when you’re absolutely certain nobody else can hear you (this is a pleasure that was denied to me for quite a few years until I moved into a detached house last month).
Track 9: Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
Not my favourite Culture Club song, but I have fond memories of my friend Laura and I writing notes to each other in our homework diaries in high school, arguing about the correct lyrics to this song (she thought it was ‘if you were the colour of my dreams‘, rather than ‘if your colours were like my dreams‘). These things were extremely important.
Track 10: Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
I make no apologies for adoring this one. I also point you to this wonderful meme, which Geth likes to use for complaining purposes whenever we hear it in a goth club.
Track 11: Kajagoogoo – Too Shy
Daft song, but it’s still better than all of Limahl’s solo stuff except for Neverending Story.
Track 12: Mike Oldfield – Moonlight Shadow
I love this one – it’s epic and beautiful. It was also used to really good effect in the ’80s edition of The Doctor Who Years, which is sadly no longer available to watch.
Track 13: Men At Work – Down Under
Wonderfully silly party song that always reminds me of an Australian guy called Ben that I used to work with circa 2002. In the pub post-shift, this was his song.
Track 14: Rock Steady Crew – (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew
I can’t listen to this one without being reminded of its use in Peter Kay’s brilliant Britain’s Got The Pop Factor parody in 2008 (and I can’t believe that show is nearly a decade old already). The song itself is pretty nonsensical, but I quite like the synth line.
Track 15: Rod Stewart – Baby Jane
Actually my favourite Rod Stewart song, just edging out Maggie May. I love the instrumentals (especially that sax solo!), the lyrics, the epic nature, everything.
Track 16: Paul Young – Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)
To be honest, though I usually like Paul Young, I find this one a bit dull, so I think it was a poor choice for ending disc one of the album.
Track 17: New Edition – Candy Girl
Never been a fan of New Edition or this song, largely because I have an aversion to squeaky kid voices, especially squeaky kid voices singing love songs. Let’s move on.
Track 18: Kajagoogoo – Big Apple
Please take a moment to envisage my raised eyebrow here, as I was always taught when learning to DJ that repeating an artist in a setlist (or compilation album, in this case) is lazy, unimaginative and generally Not Done. Give another artist a chance to be heard!
As for the song itself…it’s nice bouncy ’80s pop with cute little bursts of saxophone, but nothing hugely special.
Track 19: Tina Turner – Let’s Stay Together
Boring slow intro and verses, but good ‘chair-dancer’ once the chorus gets going.
Track 20: The Human League – (Keep Feeling) Fascination
Typical upbeat Human League stuff for this era. Not my all-time favourite of theirs, but perfectly catchy and pleasant.
Track 21: Howard Jones – New Song
I didn’t really get into Howard Jones until about a year ago, when Vintage TV started playing his stuff a lot. This one’s a nice bouncy, catchy number with a great synth instrumental bit. Big fan of this.
Track 22: UB40 – Please Don’t Make Me Cry
More repetition of artists (sigh). If they were determined to do that, they should have saved Red Red Wine for side two, as it’s a much better song than this one. Slow, downbeat, nice sax solo but generally a bit dull.
Track 23: Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack – Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
The kind of appallingly saccharine ballad that I would have hated if I’d been an adult listening to it in 1983, but from my lofty perch of hindsight in 2018 I can just put it into a box marked ‘charmingly of its time’.
Track 24: Tracey Ullman – They Don’t Know
I do like ’80s-era Tracey Ullman and her comedy-tinged music videos. There’s something a bit mid-century retro about this one, which I quite like. It was originally a Kirsty MacColl track, which explains the quality.
For some reason I always think of Genesis as more musically respectable than solo Phil Collins. I’m not sure why. This one’s another head-nodder, but not playlist-worthy for me.
Track 27: The Cure – The Love Cats
Being a shameless goth, the Cure are my favourite band. This is a great upbeat party song, but if you want something more epic, beautiful and melancholy, I thoroughly recommend all the other tracks on the Japanese Whispers EP. I remember spending all of 2004, which was a tough year for me, just listening to it over and over. Gorgeous stuff.
Track 28: Simple Minds – Waterfront
Lovely guitar intro on this one. Fairly paint-by-numbers Simple Minds, without much in the way of hooks.
Track 29: Madness – The Sun And The Rain
Madness can’t do much wrong as far as I’m concerned. Great bouncy track.
Track 30: Culture Club – Victims
Eyebrow goes up again at another repeated artist! I’ll forgive the Now! compilers this time, though, because I do love this one and its epic and sweeping chorus.
